Chapter One
by writerchic16
Summary: Theories for the season seven premiere. One-shots, all genres. [2014 Ficathon Entry]
1. Castle Is Fine

**Chapter One**

Summary: Theories for the season seven premiere. One-shots, all genres. [2014 Ficathon Entry]

A/N: [I apologize for the ridiculously long Author's Note. Since this is an experimental "story," I feel like it requires an introduction/explanation/case for my defense.]

Everyone has a theory for season six's cliffhanger. Naturally the most popular suspects are 3XK, Castle's dad, and Bracken. Some even say it was all a dream. Since the cliffhanger was so out-of-left-field, with no real clues leading up to it, Castle writers unintentionally provided the fandom with a _very_ early (or very late) Christmas present. There are so many directions next season could go, so unless you tried to cram them all into an over-the-top epic story, there's no way all of them can be written.

..._or is there?_

Writing a long fic for _one_ conclusion seemed...well, daunting. I don't stick with stories very long, ten chapters max. Getting past the first or second chapter can be iffy sometimes. This self-deprecation led to an idea – what if I worked with my flakiness instead of against it? What if I could write and post _first chapters_ for every single theory...then "abandon" the concepts immediately, without making people mad?

Some may call it the coward's way out.

I'm calling it a collection of one-shots.

Now, as for my opinion on the finale – I wasn't thrilled with it. Laughing off the finale helps me forgive the show for that disaster, and makes me focus on the actual drama created for season seven. (#TooSoonMemes provided some inspiration for this new outlook.) That said, my "theories" are meant to be shark-jumping, give-Beckett-water skis-and-a-wetsuit type situations. Since I don't have to pursue the story line, I can write the first scenario that pops into my twisted little mind. (On that note, one-shots will span all genres – romance, action...supernatural, sci-fi...)

At this point, I'd say you've been adequately warned.

This should be fun.

* * *

**Theory 01: Castle Is Fine**

_No._

Her fists clenching around her wedding dress, nails almost piercing the fabric, Kate glared defiantly at the burning wreckage.

_No._

_He is still alive._

_He is not in that car._

Firefighters were taking their sweet freaking time. She had to extinguish the flames herself somehow. Other cops stood around the car, worried she might stupidly throw herself at the inferno.

Of course she wouldn't.

Not without water.

How could she save him if she burned to a crisp herself?

"Somebody get water!" she shrieked, yelling at the group of police officers closest to her. "Don't just stand there! We're surrounded by mansions w-with really nice landscaping. Borrow a damn hose!"

One of the braver officers gently answered her demand. "Detective Beckett...if your fiance was in there, we can't save him..."

"_No!_" Finally she screamed the word, backing away from the concerned onlookers. "If you won't do anything, _I_ am going to knock on the nearest door a-and..."

"Kate?!"

Shock turned her immobile, her heels glued to the asphalt road. Kate refused to glance up at the person who called her name. What if it was her imagination, and she was only setting herself up for a disappointment she couldn't handle?

"Kate! Are you okay?"

Then his hands rested on her shoulders, his eyes searching hers for signs of life. Speechless Kate still didn't trust herself to move.

Richard Castle was fine.

She could kill him.

When Kate frantically planted her lips on his, surprised Castle returned the kiss and hugged her tight. As they pulled apart, their arms still around each other, she began to sob. They stayed like that until she could finally regain some composure.

Pointing a shaky hand at the still-burning car, Kate did not break eye contact with her bewildered fiance. "What. The Hell. Happened?!"

"E-ngine exploded..." he sputtered, paling now as he took in the smoldering heap of metal. "One of the guys said it probably overheated."

"The _guys_?!"

"There was this black van..."

"Oh my God, did they hit you - "

"No, nothing like that!" Castle insisted, determined to ease her fears. "Mother knows them from the acting school, but they also moonlight as florists. She called them in for some emergency assistance. They were on their way to the wedding and saw that my car was leaking fluid. Since they recognized that I was the groom, they honked their horn so that I would stop and check on it. The engine exploded right after I got out of the car."

Still unconvinced, Kate replied, "Then why aren't they here now? If they knew you were the groom, I'd imagine they would have at least pulled over to see if you needed a ride."

Castle nodded in agreement. "That's what they did, I swear. And my first instinct was to go with them and make the wedding...but I couldn't leave a flaming car on the side of the road. Police might stop and...uh, assume that there had been a fatality."

"You were right about that." Kate crossed her arms, not amused by the ironic twist at all. "What happened to the van then? They left you there?"

Shaking his head, Castle explained, "They were going to stay with me, but I sent them ahead to help with last-minute details until I got there. Apparently they just finished up some of the flower arrangements..." He trailed off. At this point, she was indifferent towards minor wedding details. "Anyway, they did give me their cell phone since mine was in the car when the engine exploded. May it rest in peace." He sighed wistfully, taking a moment to acknowledge the loss.

Any other day, she might have sympathized. Currently, however, she had no patience for levity. _"Then why didn't you call?_" she demanded angrily. _"Where have you been?!" _

"I was trying to get a signal!" he insisted defensively. "So I could call you!"

"You were talking to me on a cell phone right before the car crashed. How far would you possibly need to walk?!"

"The thing is...my phone was very expensive, top-of-the-line. Their phone was nowhere near the same quality as _mine_, so...I had to take a little walk." Grinning at her, he added, "When I did finally get a signal, you didn't pick up."

Kate gritted her teeth. "_That's_ because I was trying to save your ass from the burning car!"

"I love you."

"Yeah, love you too."

She wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him again. The tears returned as well. Now that she had answers, a story behind the wrecked vehicle, she couldn't let go of him. They would have to stay in the middle of the road for the rest of the day.

"The rest of the day" lasted until Esposito and Lanie ran up to them seconds later. Even though Kate and Castle's embrace had been interrupted, they still held hands as they turned to their friends.

"Richard Castle!" Lanie yelled furiously, sharing Kate's initial reaction. "Don't you dare _ever_ scare us like that again!" She hugged Castle as soon as she was close enough, nearly knocking the writer off his feet. Tears were in her eyes when she stepped away. "I'm so happy you're okay."

Esposito put an arm around Lanie's shoulders, comforting the distraught maid of honor. He then grinned at Castle. "What the hell's the matter with you, bro?" he teased. "Don't you know better than to leave the scene of a car crash before the cops get there?" Chuckling at Castle's feigned annoyance, he explained, "We saw you two were having a moment, so we talked to them for you." He glanced towards the small group of local officers standing a few yards down the road. The four friends also noted that the fire department had finally arrived, setting up the truck's fire hose to extinguish the already-subsiding flames.

"What did the police say?" Castle asked. "Are we free to go?"

Esposito nodded. "Since no one was hurt, they just have to fill out some reports before they leave - "

"_Dad!"_

"_Richard!"_

Both Alexis and Martha ambushed Castle, making a redhead-and-writer sandwich. He hugged them back just as fiercely. "I'm so sorry..." he muttered into their shoulders, his own eyes teary. "I had no idea...I never meant to..."

Noticing that Kate now stood awkwardly to the side, Alexis hugged her father again, then went over to her future stepmother. "He's fine," Alexis whispered reassuringly. "He's right here. With us."

Kate smiled gratefully. "He _is_ fine, isn't he?"

They hugged briefly, then returned to the group. "One thing I don't get," Castle confessed. "Mother, Alexis...why didn't you share a car with Beckett?"

"Think about it, kiddo," Martha joked. "You were in danger and, as expected, she was going to drive like a madwoman. Katherine knew this and told us to take a separate car."

Kate shrugged sheepishly. "I ran out of there so fast, they didn't really get a chance to argue with me. Or keep up with me. Esposito and Lanie happened to see me sprinting to the parking lot...and wouldn't let me get into the driver's seat."

"That's right," Lanie said. "Friends don't let friends have a meltdown and drive."

As Kate hugged Castle again, Martha smiled at her son and his fiancee. "Well, now that our crisis has resolved itself, I feel the need to remind you that nearly three-hundred guests are waiting for a wedding. Is there any reason we can't leave?"

"I don't think there is, Mrs. R," Esposito answered. He'd checked with the officers again during their conversation. "Castle will have to sort this mess out with his insurance, but right now, we can get the hell out of here."

"Let's get moving, then!" Martha began herding them all towards the two parked cars, then paused to glance back at Kate. "Oh, dear...I just realized...your dress..."

Thinking Martha meant the dress had been ruined somehow, Kate half-heartedly looked for stains or tears. Since finding out that Castle was okay, the only emotion she could truly feel was relief. "I'm sorry but I don't see anything..."

Martha shook her head. "No, dear. Richard saw your dress before the wedding..." She grinned widely, unable to hold in her laughter. "It _is_ bad luck."

Her sense of humor restored, Kate burst out laughing along with her soon-to-be husband. "I wouldn't worry, Martha," she said, putting an arm around Castle's waist. "After all of the bad...no, after the _unbelievably_ _horrendous_ luck we've had these past few days...I think we've built up a tolerance for it."


	2. Castle Is Down Under

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews (and favorites and follows)! I'm so glad I didn't scare everybody off. That said, it only gets crazier from here!

* * *

**Theory 02: Castle Is Down Under**

As Rick finally regained consciousness, he felt pain. A _lot_ of pain. His head throbbed and his whole body was sore. Deciding to keep his eyes closed for a moment longer, he tried to remember where he got these agonizing injuries from. He wasn't _too_ surprised when he couldn't recall any relevant memories. Given his migraine, Rick suspected major head trauma.

Putting aside his inner torment – a difficult task to accomplish even for a second – he mentally checked off the five senses.

His eyes registered light even though they were still closed. So, he was someplace bright. Pressing his hands down on the surface beneath him, he could tell that he was lying on a bed...made with itchy, rough cotton sheets. His nose detected an indiscernible nature-related smell, and he could hear a symphony of miscellaneous bird calls. Lastly, he was thirsty, his mouth desert-dry. This had probably been caused by the warm air, which seemed a little humid but not stifling hot. To him it felt different from the cool spring weather he was used to back in New York.

_Back in New York._ And his name was Richard Castle.

Good – he didn't have amnesia, so he could put off making an effort to remember more. His head already hurt like hell and he was _not_ looking to worsen his condition.

Even though he wanted desperately to sleep a few more hours, Rick knew he couldn't take the risk. He didn't know where he was or how he got there, which meant that somebody could have done this to him. That person could be holding him captive. It was a likely conclusion, since hospitals didn't smell like... Well, he still didn't know what that scent was, but it definitely wouldn't be in a hospital.

Hesitant, Castle opened his eyes.

And promptly let out a very unmanly yelp of fear.

_Oh my God..._

_Is that a real snake?!_

Despite his injuries, Rick backed up to the wall behind him until he was almost sitting. He never took his eyes on the window opposite him...and the massive python on the other side of the plate glass.

_Seriously?!_

_Countless bad guys over the years, and a snake is my undoing._

_I would have preferred the tiger._

"Relax, will you? The window's locked, and that glass is sealed tight. He won't get in."

This reassurance _would_ help Rick breathe a little easier...

...if he wasn't staring at Jackson Hunt. Carrying a hunting rifle.

Unable to "relax," Rick nodded at the weapon. "What's with the gun?"

Hunt chuckled. "You have to ask when Monty here is staring right at you?" He shook his head in amusement, leaning the gun against a mud brick wall. "This is the Australian Outback, Rick. I have a first-aid kit with every venom antidote known to man, but you need to be careful. Besides, you weren't awake yet, so I _was_ on my own."

"Whoa, wait, hold on..._the Australian Outback_?! As in..._Australia_?!"

Not answering right away, Hunt crossed the one-room cottage. A small kitchenette separated Rick's twin bed from the living space and front door. Getting a plastic cup from a cabinet, Hunt pulled out a gallon of water from the fridge. "Yes, Australia – specifically, Queensland. Thought you might appreciate that."

"_Why?"_

"Your thing for chess," Hunt explained. The cup filled to its brim, he put the gallon back in the fridge and shut the door. "Your chosen last name is _Castle_, which involves the rook and king pieces. Your character's last name is _Rook_ and...well, you're a fan of Stephen _King_, aren't you? _Queen_sland goes along with the pattern." He paused, frowning at his son. "Unless you lost your memory, in which case, none of this makes sense. I have to say though – you not remembering stuff would make my life a hell of a lot easier."

Rick was not lucid enough to process all those words. Wincing with pain, he slowly pushed himself to sit on the edge of his bed. "No, I don't have amnesia..._Hunt_." He smirked at his father. "Some more recent stuff is fuzzy, but I do remember why I chose 'Castle.'"

Handing Rick the cup of water, Hunt sat on another twin bed along the perpendicular wall across from him. Rick hadn't noticed it. "Don't leave me in suspense," Hunt retorted sarcastically, not at all curious.

"Swayze – _Dirty Dancing_. He was the coolest."

Hunt let out a loud bark of laughter, shaking his head in amusement. "Finish that," he said needlessly as Rick chugged the water. "You're probably dehydrated. I also have pain killers, but you'll want to use those sparingly. Might be a while before we can get more."

"Why are we going to be here for 'a while'?" Rick demanded. "And why the hell am I on the other side of the planet?!"

Sighing, Hunt answered, "This may sound like an exaggeration, but... the Outback is possibly the only place where they won't find us. At least, not right away." He seemed hesitant to reveal more.

"Look, I appreciate a good dramatic pause more than anyone –"

"Alexis. Paris."

"Damn," Rick swore, rubbing his face with his hands. "Do we know who exactly?"

"No, but the same people are probably involved – the ones who survived, and their associates. Kidnapping my granddaughter was supposed to be my downfall. Not only did I avoid capture, but we also rescued her...not to mention, cheated them of the ransom money. We royally pissed them off." Rick raised an eyebrow when Hunt chuckled, then added, "From what I hear, pissing people off is your area of expertise."

"You check up on me a lot?"

"At least a few times a year. You get into trouble a lot these days, so I want to make sure you're not in over head." Frowning, Hunt explained, "That's why you're here now. A few months ago, my contacts alerted me to some suspicious activity. I've been tracking them, sabotaging them if they got too close. But now...in New York, they were _way_ too close. I had to get you out of there."

Rick's eyes widened with realization, causing a wave of anger and resentment towards his father. (Well, more than the anger and resentment he already had.) "_You_ crashed the car to make it look like I died!" he accused loudly. "Without telling me about it first!"

Hunt didn't even blink. "So you _do_ remember the crash."

"Well, uh..." Rick paused, wondering where the outburst came from. He really didn't remember the ordeal at all. "No," he finally confessed. "Just that it happened. There was a car, and fire...but that's about it."

"The explosion I set up was a small one, so you'd actually live through it. Then after I pulled you to safety, I subtly set off another explosion to anyone watching. It looked like the car suffered an aftershock." He gave his son a look that could have been apologetic, almost sympathetic, but Rick couldn't be sure. "I couldn't tell you about my plan, or they would have sensed that the crash was all for show. And if I did warn you, you would have told Martha, Alexis and Detective Beckett. You wouldn't have been able to let them think you were dead, even if we only had to hide out for a few weeks."

Rick glared at his father with pure animosity. "Damn right I wouldn't!" Even though his injuries screamed at him to stay where he was, Rick used the adrenaline rush to push himself to his feet. "I'm getting the hell out of here."

"Good luck trying. I don't have a truck, or a phone. All I have is a two-way radio that would connect me to the pilot of a helicopter miles away, there in case we have to escape quickly. And he won't take you anywhere unless I allow it."

Almost past the kitchenette, Rick stopped, using the opportunity to rest against the counter. He never exactly thought he was _safe_ with Hunt, but it never occurred to him that he'd have to worry about kidnapping. He suddenly felt trapped in that cottage. "So what now?" he spat. "How long can we stay here without supplies?"

Hunt wasn't concerned. "Plenty of food in the wild if you know how to get it, which I do. Speaking of the wild, there's a lake right outside our door - I suggest you go jump in it to cool yourself off. We'll have a rational conversation when you get back."

"_You_ go jump in the lake," Rick spat, too annoyed to do anything his father told him.

Smirking, Hunt pulled out a storage box from under his bed, rummaging through its contents until he took out a marble notebook and pack of cheap pens. "If not that, then do you want these? Since you're a writer, I thought you might use this time to write."

Rick only glared at them. He was not going to accept anything from his father, not when Hunt was basically holding him there against his will.

"I figured that would be your answer." Seemingly apathetic, Hunt stood and tossed the writing supplies on the end of Rick's bed. "Well, if you change your mind, they're there." He paused, wrinkling his brow and staring at Rick thoughtfully. "You really don't remember anything about that day? Maybe about Detective Beckett?"

"No. Only that she's my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend...that's it?"

The hostile glare intensified. Even though he'd wanted his father to care about his life, Rick did not appreciate the dubious interest in his personal business."Why, am I forgetting something important?"

Instead of answering, Hunt shook his head dismissively. "Let's just leave it at that for now."


	3. Castle Is Ex'd Out

**Theory 03: Castle Is Ex'd Out**

"_...We make sure the car explodes. Then, since Castle will be unconscious for a while, all we have to do is drop him off about a mile down the road. No one will know that we were involved."_

Impressed with her own ingenuity, Meredith Harper smiled before drinking more of her cocktail. Gina Cowell, Tom Demming and Rogan O'Leary stared back at her, equally incredulous, their foreheads creased with confusion. As Meredith returned her drink to the tabletop, she asked, "Any questions?"

Gina mockingly raised her hand with her elbow bent. "I have one." She paused to take a _long_ sip of wine with her other hand, almost finishing what was in her glass. "You're on a soap now, right?"

Detective Demming let out a loud chuckle. To his credit, Rogan at least _tried_ to hold back laughter.

Insulted, Meredith turned to her left and glared at Gina. To Gina's left was Demming, so Meredith was directly across from Rogan. They were seated at a small circular table in an exclusive night club. Since they'd arrived early, they didn't have to contend with the normal annoyances of loud music or a noisy crowd. Meredith appreciated the serene, dimly-lighted atmosphere.

What she didn't appreciate was her guests' casual attitude towards this meeting. Reading about her ex-husband's engagement a few months ago inexplicably sent her on a downward spiral. It confused her at first, because for the most part, she was fine when he reunited with Gina. That happened more out of convenience than passion. Gina never threatened to take her place in Rick's life, so she didn't feel the need to get involved. Eventually she realized why the engagement bothered her so much: Detective Katherine Beckett was not another Gina. Visiting the loft confirmed her suspicions. He was so..._amazed_ by Kate, completely and totally enamored. Meredith heard from Alexis that he was "serious" about this one, but she never imagined that he'd supposedly found his soul mate.

The visit caused Meredith to panic. At least before, when he'd been single, she could win him over with a reckless night of "harmless fun." Shooting for the "top ten" was all that remained of their previous relationship. If that failed for whatever reason, he had to see her anyway because of their daughter. Sometimes, when Meredith went back to the loft with Alexis after a day of shopping together, she and Rick actually had full conversations.

But these days he no longer had to _tolerate_ his first ex-wife, never mind give her any consideration. Alexis had been young during Rick's marriage to Gina, so Meredith still had a presence in his life. But _now_...Alexis was an adult. True, she was living at the loft again, but Meredith doubted that Alexis would meet her there at all after Kate moved in. Meredith probably wouldn't see him until _Alexis_ eventually got married. Maybe Meredith could "stop by" the loft to "surprise Alexis," but she suspected Rick would see through the cry for attention. The old Rick might have allowed it, humored her and possibly even flirted, but Kate would put a stop to it if he didn't. Unlike Gina, Kate wouldn't have to put on a fake smile and exchange pleasantries.

This was why Meredith had reached her breaking point. She had to _try_ to win him back...or at the very least, get back in his good graces. She needed to convince him that marrying Kate was a huge mistake.

And Meredith didn't do things on a small scale.

Meanwhile, Demming had slowly registered her insane proposition."I have to agree with Gina here. You are _actually_ suggesting that we use Rogan to lure Beckett into some kind of twisted rabbit hole, right before the wedding? She would never agree to break into the car in the first place, Meredith. If anything, she'd point a gun at Rogan and threaten to shoot him if he didn't sign." Demming smirked at bemused Rogan. "Knowing Beckett, she'd aim _low_."

Rogan laughed. "Well, threats of bodily harm aside, I almost wish we would do this just so I could see Kit Kat again. It sounds like she's changed a lot."

Amused, Gina and Demming both raised an eyebrow at him. _"Kit Kat?!"_

"Sorry," he replied sarcastically. _"Detective Beckett."_

Demming shook his head in amazement, then continued, "Look, Meredtih...we all have more important things to do than listen to you vent about missing your ex. If that's all you wanted to say then..."

"No, you're not getting it," Meredith insisted, shaking her head. "We all deserve a final act of closure. I even called that doctor she was dating a while ago...Josh, but he's in some third-world country with a global organization...I don't know, it had the word 'doctor' in it I think? Well whatever, I would have liked him to show up just because I heard he was cute, but apparently he does a lot of charity work."

"So, not your type," Gina deadpanned.

Though Demming and Rogan snickered, Meredith didn't understand what was funny "No, not at all," she agreed sincerely. "Anyway, I got the idea for this because my private investigator found her marriage in the public records. If she'd gotten divorced, I would have said we should delete them from her file and let her work out the mess, but...there _were_ no divorce papers. She actually _is_ still married! Isn't that great?! The DMV will do our work for us when she goes to get her marriage license."

While Rogan stared at her, surprised, Gina argued, "But she was hired by the FBI. They certainly would have asked her about it during their _very thorough _background check."

"Unless...they have reason to keep quiet about it." Demming looked at Rogan again, suddenly wary. "Former military?"

Rogan sighed. "Former CIA. My superiors have been concealing the marriage throughout Kate's career, making sure I didn't draw attention to myself. Now that you've told me she's getting married again, I may just work behind the scenes to put the divorce through without her signature."

"_How?"_ Demming asked, curious.

"There are ways."

"You really expect us to believe you're former CIA?" Gina asked impatiently.

"What's more believable?" Rogan countered. "That Kate's marriage went unnoticed because I'm former CIA...or because the FBI 'missed' it in their background check?"

The other three became silent, realizing that his argument made sense.

Disheartened, Meredith glumly finished off the rest of her drink. "Well, there goes my plan. The most we could do is wreck Rick's car on his way to the ceremony."

"Sorry Meredith." Demming threw the money for his one soda down on the table. "Nice meeting you all, but as much as I'd like to 'get closure', the effort isn't worth it for me. Not to mention, you know, I _am_ also a cop. I could technically arrest you for conspiracy right now."

Meredith instantly regretted inviting the detective. She let out a fake laugh. "Oh, uh...you were taking me seriously? You need to lighten up, detective." Grinning at him, she waved good-bye as he walked away from the table. "Nice meeting you too!"

Gina stood, leaving money for her wine. "Well, at the very least, this was good for a laugh. Meredith...as always, I suggest therapy." Nodding good-bye to Rogan, she also left the club.

Alone with Rogan, Meredith pouted slightly. Part of her really thought _someone_ would go for her plan, or at least work with her to fine-tune it. Truthfully her best bet had been Gina. If Demming wasn't there, she suspected that the other ex-Mrs. Castle would have treated the matter more seriously. Letting out a deep sigh, Meredith stirred the straw in her empty cocktail glass. "Is Gina right, Rogan?" she asked absentmindedly. "Maybe I should try therapy. The thing is, I don't want to end up making out with my therapist again." At Rogan's stare, she explained, "He never told _me_, but apparently there's this thing called 'transference.'"

Rogan laughed, then called over a waiter. "Why don't we get you another drink? We can talk about Kit-Kat and her new guy for hours."

Meredith smiled. Rogan _was_ cute, endearing...she wouldn't mind spending some more time with him. "Thanks, Rogan. Another drink would be great."

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A/N: Thanks for the reviews! By the way, I sort of rushed through this a little since I wanted to finish it before I go on vacation. I apologize in advance for any typos, and will fix them when I get back. Thanks again!


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